| Previous page of Issue |
Downwards Through An Emergence (Part 1)
| SERIES: Downwards Through An Emergence AUTHOR: Jim Schofield |
STRANDS: EMERGENCE |
ABSTRACT: This short series of papers established the unavoidable limitations of the pluralist scientific method, when dealing with Emergent Events. It describes the separate, yet seemingly complementary elements of quantitative isolation, extraction and abstraction (that result in an Equation) and causal explanations, and shows that both of these cannot traverse Emergent Events, which turn out to be absolute and final limits of ALL such theories. The Origin of Life on Earth is used as the true test, and these banker methods are therefore found to be totally inadequate to that crucial task, which is shown to be of an entirely different nature, and hence requiring of entirely new methods, if it is to be addressed. The case of Sub-Atomic Physics is dealt with to reveal the currently accepted “solution” to this problem – which is to abandon Explanation completely, and the inevitable consequences – the reliance on Equations ONLY as the way forward, at least the complementary accounts of relations & explanations did result in some sort of “real” version when taken together. Thus, the study of Emergences is clearly the only salvation for a great science that is NOT intent on eating its own feet! |
SYNOPSIS: 1. As the corollary of a constructive path of complication, we have the downward analytical path of investigation. 2. This assumes straight-through causality, and hence delivers Reductionism 3. But this was impossible to carry out! Major unbridgeable Gaps appeared at each and every Emergence. 4. This made the study of Emergences essential. 5. The Touchstone for how to do this was clearly the Origin of Life on Earth. 6. But the usual metho involving equations was useless in this area as Miller’s Experiment proved conclusively. 7. Explanations, on the other hand seemed to offer better possibilities. 8. But even these, though they worked well in “tandem” with equations within Domains, failed at Emergences too. 9. Some other Method suited to Qualitative Change was required.. |
| Left click to open in browser window, right click to download. |
| Previous paper in series |